The conviction that their children need to do better academically if they are to succeed in the workplace is prompting many Canadian parents to get “actively involved in directing their child’s education,” said Dr. Paul Cappon, president of the federally funded Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) in a news release this week.
A new survey commissioned by the CCL found that on the whole, most Canadians are satisfied with the education children are receiving. And yet many feel that schools are operating below their expectations – and are doing something about it.
Thirty-three per cent of parents said they had hired tutors to help instill in their children a love for learning, despite the fact that most of them already have A or B averages. And of the 25 per cent of parents whose children are enrolled in a language-immersion program, 60 per cent said they did it out of a desire to improve their children’s future job prospects.
Yet most parents with children aged five to 24 appeared to have mixed feelings about homework. While 72 per cent said that homework is often a source of household stress, over 80 per cent conceded it develops good work habits and enhances learning.
The survey also revealed that more than 80 per cent of Canadians regard bullying as one of the most serious issues facing kids in school. Close to half of the parents surveyed (47 per cent) said their own children had been bullied.
A total of 5,361 people took part in the survey, which was conducted last May and June.
